Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. What, you think if I did we would have such pairings at the end? *rolls eyes*
A/N: This is a collection of one-shots about moments in DH that I thought could turn into Harry and Hermione being together, if only JK had wanted it to happen. So…hope you'll enjoy! They'll always start with a small part quoted from the book, just to let you know where we are at the moment.
Warning: in this one we have a bit of Super!Harry. But hey, if JK can pull off Ron speaking Parseltongue to open the Chamber, I can pull off a bit of Super!Harry, right? lol Oh, and this dwells a bit also on how much both Ron and Hermione mean to Harry, and how good the three of them work together.
Where Deathly Hallows Could Have Turned Harmonian
Never Tickle The Sleeping Dragon
Hermione was screaming again: the sound went through Harry like physical pain. Barely conscious of the fierce prickling of his scar, he, too, started to run around the cellar, feeling the walls for he hardly knew what, knowing in his heart that it was useless.
"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"
Hermione's screams echoed off the walls upstairs.
That was it. Harry was now facing the cellar heavy door, and he felt raw hatred flow through him, directed at Bellatrix. Not only she had killed Sirius, she was enjoying torturing Hermione now. And flashes of Neville's parents passed in front of his eyes. He would not let Bellatrix reduce Hermione in that state.
He didn't know what he was doing, or what he wanted to do. He was wandless, and so he knew probably he would not obtain anything. But he decided to try all the same.
"Bombarda Maxima!" he shouted, closing his eyes in concentration. He was more than surprised hearing the door being blasted away.
From upstairs, Bellatrix's voice fell silent, as well as Hermione's screams.
"Everyone, be ready. They are coming" Harry ordered, and Ron remembered the Deluminator in his pocket. He took off the lights in the cellar, and they waited.
Soon enough, they could hear people descending the steps, and in the dark they waited the right moment.
As Wormtail and another two Death eaters entered the room, Ron jumped on one of them, wrestling him on the ground, while Harry silently and wandlessly disarmed another, taking his wand.
Two red streaks of light sent the two men lying on the ground. He could not Stupefy the one wrestling with Ron without risking to hit his friend, but Luna kicked him hard on the head, making him fall unconscious.
Ron released the lights from his Deluminator, and nodded his thanks at Luna. When they turned toward Harry to see what they should do next, he was already gone.
Bellatrix had resumed torturing Hermione, and her screams echoed in Harry's brain. He ran up the steps two at a time, and soon was in the room where the "questioning" was going on.
"Release her" he growled.
"Potter" Bellatrix snarled, turning her wand on him. Draco and the others did the same. Harry knew it was foolish, but the sight of Hermione, lying on the table, still shaking from the Cruciatus Curse gave him the courage to face all of them, even alone.
However, soon he was reached by Ron, Luna and Ollivander.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix cried, aiming the wand at Ron. The fight was started. The redhead barely managed to move out of the curse path.
Spells flew everywhere, and both the Death Eaters and the boys had to dodge blasted objects that flew in their way, result of colliding with the randomly cast spells.
Hermione was still regaining her breath on the table when Fenrir neared her, greedy.
"I guess you be all mine now" he growled, but Harry noticed. "Stupefy" he cried, and the werewolf fell on the ground, stiff. She gave him a slight nod, and moved. It was time to help her friends.
Luna was duelling with Draco, and doing it well. Ron was facing Lucius Malfoy, while Harry was duelling with Bellatrix now.
"It's time to close the old bills, Lestrange" he growled.
"Still upset for your godfather, boy?" she taunted him, and Harry's eyes darkened. "Crucio!" he cried, and this time it worked. This time, he really felt it, both for Sirius and for how the woman had tortured Hermione.
Bellatrix's wand lay on the floor and Hermione was the quickest to take it. She aimed it at Draco.
"Accio wands!" she cried, and their sticks flew from the boy's pocket to her hand. She threw at Ron his own, while she grabbed hers and pocketed Bellatrix's one. As the boys were all near, they nodded at each other, and ran away, out of the manor, throwing hexes behind their shoulders. Harry was holding Hermione's hand, Ron had taken Luna and Ollivander, and suddenly they ran into Dobby, who grabbed them and whisked them away to safety.
The last thing they heard before darkness enveloped them was Bellatrix's loud scream of dissatisfaction.
As they landed, just few miles away from the manor, Harry checked everyone was there, then turned to Dobby. "Can you bring us to…"
"Shell Cottage" Ron said. "It's Bill and Fleur's house, we will be safe there". The elf nodded, then they all grabbed him and he led them there.
First thing Harry did was to take Hermione in his arms and bring her into the house. She was pale, and weak. Adrenaline had sustained her through the fight, but now she was almost losing consciousness.
Fleur hurried him into a bedroom, and shooed him away as she tended to the girl. All night, Harry paced in front of the door, slightly reassured by Fleur's words that she was going to be fine. He couldn't help but cry, thinking it was all his fault. If he had remembered the Taboo, they would have never been caught, and she would have never been tortured. Again, he almost led her to death, and images from the Department of Mysteries came to his mind again. Seeing her body, unconscious on the ground, again, made him shudder, and sob louder.
Ron came to visit too. He was out of his mind with worry, and they barely spoke, comforting each other. Hermione was going to come back to them, and they would be the same trio once more.
Yes, both believed it would end this way. No one could think about the worst.
Suddenly, Ron spoke.
"You were brilliant, you know. That wandless magic was cool" he said, attempting a joke to light the mood. He had always been good at that, and Harry smiled.
"Practice paid off, I guess"
"It's not just practice, Harry" Luna said, joining them. They turned toward the blonde.
"Luna, you should be in bed, resting" Ron said, and Harry looked at his friend amusedly.
"Oh, I wasn't so sleepy after all" the other girl serenely said. "But, Harry, as I was saying…I could feel raw magic coming off of you when you blasted that door" she added, smiling at the raven haired wizard. "Magic conveyed by a powerful emotion that filled your soul"
After that, they remained silent for a while, Harry pondering what Luna had said, Ron and the blonde simply not knowing what to say. Some minutes later, the redhead suggested he accompany Luan to her room, "to make sure she really rests this time"
Harry nodded, and bid them goodnight. Luna smiled at him, and her eyes were full of joy at what Ron had just suggested.
Once alone, Harry decided he had to see Hermione. Fleur would have his head for that, if she found out, but he simply had to. Clicking the door open, he looked around to make sure nobody was coming, and then he snuck inside.
He then nervously walked toward her bed. She was sleeping peacefully, and he sighed. Probably it went well this time too.
He moved a chair next to her, and sat down. He gently took her hand in his own.
"I'm sorry, Hermione" he whispered, so low the words were almost just mouthed. "I put you in danger again, my stupidity almost got you killed once more"
Fresh tears came to his eyes, and he didn't stop them. He knew it was useless to keep his emotions bottled up.
Some time later, he felt pressure on his hand. He looked up and noticed she was looking at him, smiling.
"Hey" she said softly.
"You're awake" he said, surprised.
"Yeah, I am. Thanks to you" she said.
"What? No, I almost got you killed, it's my fault you were tortured…"
She silenced him with a finger on his lips.
"Harry, they would have caught us soon or later. It was a risk of being on the run, and it was bound to happen" she reasoned, and in the moonlight pouring from the window, he noticed she looked almost angelic with that smile of hers.
He was speechless.
Then he spoke. "You know, Ron was really out of his mind with worry. He kept screaming your name…"
"That's so sweet of him" she nodded, and Harry felt a pang of jealousy. "But it was you who saved me, Harry. Luna was here earlier, and she told me everything, how you wandlessly blasted the door, and then you disarmed one of the Death Eaters"
Harry groaned. "Perfect, another thing to be famous for" he joked, his spirits now high as he had proof she was ok.
She laughed, and touched his arm in doing so.
Harry vowed in that moment that he would do anything to keep her laughing once the war was finished, and there was just one way to do so. Killing Voldemort.
"I guess the old say "never tickle the sleeping dragon" explains well what you did" she reasoned then. "You didn't even knew you could perform wandless magic this well, but you got angry and you did, it just came naturally from you" she said.
"Yeah, I guess it's that" he chuckled. "Well, better that I leave you rest now" he said, and she could see in his eyes the deep affection he felt for her. Maybe something more.
He started walking away, but she called him.
"Harry" she said. He turned.
"Won't you wish me good night?" she pouted, and he grinned, walking back to her.
"Good night Hermione. Sleep well" he said, then went to kiss her on the cheek. But halfway through the distance, he locked eyes with her, and it was the biggest but probably best mistake of his life.
He felt drawn to her almost magnetically, and ended kissing her on the lips. Her eyes widened in surprise, but as he was pulling away, shocked that he had done that, she put on hand in his hair and kept him there.
Then he felt her tongue touching his lips, and he eagerly allowed her entrance. As their tongues touched, he felt pure bliss shoot through his whole body, and any coherent thought was swept away from his mind. There were just the two of them, kissing like there was no tomorrow. She caressed the back of his neck, while he nestled his hand in her hair, marvelling in their softness.
She gave a tiny moan, and closed her eyes, savouring the pleasure.
"Harry…" they heard a voice, and sprang apart, but it was too late. Ron was looking at them shocked. He had not found Harry outside the room, and guessed he had entered, so the redhead ahd followed suit, but he would have never imagined what he witnessed.
It was like the locket was taunting him all over again. His face went from shock to anger in a second, and he opened his mouth to shout at them, but Hermione's quick flick of wand silenced him. He moved his lips but no sound came out. Then Harry stood up, grabbed him by his wrist and led him outside the house. Ron tried freeing himself, but Harry's grip was vicious, so the redhead had no choice than to follow him.
Once they were far away from the building, Harry released Ron from the spell.
"Harry, how could you do that to me?" Ron angrily asked. "You knew I like her!"
Harry looked at his friend. "Yes, Ron, I knew"
"You even told me you saw her like a sister, nothing more!"
"Well, seems I was mistaken" Harry replied, trying to keep his emotions in check. He didn't want Ron to leave again, but he felt more than upset at how his best friend was taking it. Of course he had all rights to be angry, but honestly Harry was growing tired of his friend's jealousy issues.
"Ron, listen to me" he suddenly bellowed, while the redhead was continuing his tirade on how they had betrayed his trust, and how they should go on alone if he was to be left as a third wheel.
The redhead didn't stop.
"Ron, will you please listen?" Harry called, again. This time, Ron stopped talking, but kept glaring at the raven haired boy.
"You will never be left behind, Ron. You're my best friend, my first real friend, and with you I feel like with family. I would never be here without both you and Hermione, Ron, and I hope you understand that I need you as badly as I need her. It's just that with her, well, Ron, I really love her. I've finally admitted it to myself. But I could never leave you behind, or make you feel unwanted. I know how feeling unwanted is, Ron, and be sure I don't wish anyone to feel like that, not even Malfoy or Snape, as much as I hate them. So…how could you think I'd do that to my "brother"?" Harry said.
Ron looked at him and knew he was being sincere. The redhead sighed.
"I guess I don't really have a choice, right?" he said, then slumping his shoulders in defeat.
"You do have a choice, Ron. You can stick with us, or you can stay here. I'd rather have you with me, though, mate" Harry said, hoping the worst had been done.
Ron shook his head. "I could never leave you guys alone. Not now that we just reunited. Plus, if I were to leave you alone, you'd surely do all a kind of things I'd rather not imagine you and Hermione involved into" he joked with a wink.
Harry blushed scarlet red. "Ron!" he cried, and then burst laughing like his friend had started doing.
"You should have seen your face, you know!" Ron managed to choke out through laughter.
Minutes later, they returned to the house, and Harry knew what he ahd said Ron was true. He really loved her, and from her actions he knew she loved him too. Together, the three of them would bring Voldemort down.
The last thing he thought before going to sleep was "Never tickle the sleeping dragon, Tom". And all three together they definitely were a sleeping dragon ready to show all its power.
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